ITA lists conditions for e-commerce to thrive in Oman

Business Sunday 08/September/2019 17:11 PM
By: Times News Service
ITA lists conditions for e-commerce to thrive in Oman

Muscat: Oman’s Information Technology Authority has said that the success of e-commerce in the country depends on a number of factors that enable it to flourish.
The recommendations were made during a workshop organised by the ITA on the subject of e-commerce, which focused on the most recent trends in global e-commerce along with technologies used in it as well as introducing the World Trade Organisation work programme on e-commerce and the most important WTO agreements and their links to e-commerce.
The regulation and development of e-commerce depend on a number of factors starting with the development of policies and laws and launching initiatives to create a favourable environment for e-commerce.
“This includes improving access to goods and services via the Internet in an environment that is characterised by the easiness, security and reliability,” said a spokesman from the ITA. “In addition, e-commerce can be boosted through the development of logistics services including payment and delivery systems, in parallel with the development of consumer protection laws, data protection, privacy and combating cybercrime.
The organisation added: “The workshop emphasized the need for developing citizens’ e-commerce skills through awareness and training programs and across educational curricula in schools, institutes and universities.”
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Information Technology Authority and Oman Global Logistics Group (ASYAD) in cooperation with the World Trade Organization (WTO), organised a national workshop on e-commerce at the Asyad headquarters in Al Qurum, with the participation of representatives from government and private entities.
The ITA added: “The workshop included three papers: the first was on the current developments in e-commerce around the world, market trends and business models, in addition to the knowledge economy and digital developments and their implications on e-commerce. The second paper discussed the work program of the World Trade Organisation in e-commerce and the most important ministerial decisions in this regard.”
Dr Ali Al Shaidhani, VP, Technology of Asyad Group, presented a paper on: the most important national policies, strategies, laws and units adopted or plan to be adopted by the sultanate in order to regulate and develop e-commerce fields to cope with the rapid developments and changes in the economy and trade at the national and international levels.
In addition, he introduced the most important initiatives and projects related to the development of e-commerce through the enhancement of infrastructures and means of ICT and various services aimed at facilitating e-commerce including the establishment and development of online shopping networks and platforms and digital services.